I Beg Your Pardon?

By: Patti Bankson

The uproar over the commutation of Lewis (Scooter) Libbyâ€™s prison sentence is another reminder that some in congress have selective memory or poor recall. Or perhaps itâ€™s simply the usual… hypocrisy. Whatever it is, it couldnâ€™t have happened at a better time. You know, 4th of July… life, liberty and justice for all. Of course liberals have their own version of that … justice for all who are on their side. And of course, Libbyâ€™s is only one name on a list of outsiders that the left would lo-o-o-ve to shut up. If shutting them up inside a prison is the only way they can do that, then so be it.

The reportage on the subject is illuminating and telling. ABCâ€™s â€œGood Morning Americaâ€ opened with, â€œThis morning, above the law?â€ While GMA twice highlighted Senator Dick Durbinâ€™s, â€œEven Paris Hilton had to go to jailâ€, they failed to mention Bill Clintonâ€™s pardon of Marc Rich even once. They called Durbinâ€™s comment, â€œone of the most stinging statementsâ€. Closer to the most stupid statement. But MSNBCâ€™s Keith Olbermann made that one on his show Monday night when he ended his anti-Bush rant with: â€œA President like that has tonight freed from the prospect of prison the only man ever to come to trial for one of the component felonies in what may be the greatest crime of this young century.”

This so-called greatest crime of this century is all about Joe Wilson, wife, Valerie Plame and her so-called â€œoutingâ€ as a so-called CIA agent. Apparently he missed Joeâ€™s TV interview in which he told Wolf Blitzer, â€œMy wife was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity.â€ Regardless, heâ€™s all wet. And heâ€™s not the only one. Even if I agreed that her identity was blown in the first place, it wasnâ€™t Novak who blew it. And it wasnâ€™t Libby. It was Richard Armitage, No. 2 to the Secretary of State. Therein lies the real scandal here. A lot of people know the truth and are still saying absolutely nothing: Colin Powell, the Department of Justice and the worst offender, special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald. Knowing Libby wasnâ€™t â€œthe oneâ€, why did he continue with his prosecution of Libby? Why did he say just hours after Libby was indicted: â€œInformation that Valerie (Plame) Wilson was a CIA officer was not only classified, but also not widely known outside the intelligence community.â€? It looks to me like justice just scooted right on by Scooter Libby.

There may be many unanswered questions in Libbyâ€™s case, but I donâ€™t hear any questions about Bill Clinton issuing 176 pardons / commutations on just his last day in office â€“ people who gave money to one or the other Clinton, fugitive Marc Rich and 16 members of a Puerto Rican clandestine terrorist group, FALN, who were responsible for over 120 bomb attacks on U.S. targets, to name a few.

Oh, and hereâ€™s a question for Keith Olbermann – How about 9/11 as â€œthe greatest crime of this young centuryâ€?